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Google offers encrypted Web search by default

If you use a search engine while on a wi-fi network, bookmark and use https://www.google.com

news.cnet.com Encrypting the communications between an end user and the Google search engine servers will protect against snooping by anyone who might be sniffing on an unsecured Wi-Fi network. Read this blog post by Elinor Mills on InSecurity Complex.

http://www.update.microsoft.com/

Patch Tuesday was this week. Important Microsoft security updates, go install them.

update.microsoft.com

Bill Introduced To Let Robots Call Your Cellphone - The Consumerist

If you don't want annoying automated calls to start coming to your cell phone too, oppose this legislation.

consumerist.com Since '91, it's been illegal for telemarketers to use autodialers and other robot-like devices to call your cellphone. Last week, a bill was introduced to change that. While in the past email hoaxes have gone around saying that your cellphone could be opened up to telemarketers, HR 3035 seeks to let...

Romance scams online hit hundreds of thousands of victims

More scams to watch out for. Romance this time. If anyone on the internet asks you for money it's most likely a scam. Use caution.

physorg.com New online research led by the University of Leicester reveals that over 200,000 people living in Britain may have fallen victim to online romance scams, far more than had been previously estimated. The study is believed to be the first formal academic analysis to measure the scale of this growing …

Acer Aspire AS5250-BZ853 15.6 Notebook

This is the best deal on a laptop I've seen in a while.

tigerdirect.com $279 Acer Aspire AS5250-BZ853 15.6" Notebook after mir.

US libraries lend digital books to Kindle readers

Electronic books now available for checkout at many libraries.

physorg.com Thousands of US libraries on Wednesday began lending digital books over the Internet for reading on Amazon's popular Kindle devices.

Traffic light camera scam steals your identity

Scam alert! NEVER give out your credit card info (or any other info for that matter) unless you initiated the phone call. This scam has people posing as coops, threatening to arrest you. The scam has nothing to do with the cameras, just uses phony threats.

autos.yahoo.com This new scam will have you slamming on the brakes, not to mention seeing red

Maximum PC | Portal Goes Free for PC and Mac, but You Have to Act Fast

The original Portal is available free until September 20th. If you've never tried the game and you're a fan of first person puzzle games you'll love it.

maximumpc.com We love free things, and we like them even more when they're awesome. Those two don't go hand-in-hand nearly enough, but for a short while, they both apply to Portal, a single-player first person puzzle platformer that was born out of Valve's Orange Box bundle and quickly gained notoriety as a hella...

iiPhone app Blendr offers dating in real time

iPhone app for meeting new people in real time. Great concept. Geared towards dating but seems like it would also work for non-dating situations. If anyone is a user please share your opinion of it.

physorg.com

New Trojan Hides in PC Motherboard, Evades Detection | Computer Viruses & Trojans | Virus Protection

Recent computer virus capable of infecting your motherboard. Use an anti-virus program, keep it updated, keep your other programs updated as well to close security holes. And back up your important data regularly so if your system dies you still have your files.

securitynewsdaily.com A new virus called Trojan.Mebromi is worrying security professionals for its advanced capabilities. Mebromi worms its way onto and modifies a computers' basic input/output system (BIOS), software built in to a computer's motherboard. Working from such a deep level, Mebromi is very difficult to detec...

Terrorism in the U.S. Since 9/11 - Crypto-Gram: September 15, 2011

$1 trillion estimated spent on anti-terrorism (not including wars) translates into $62.5 billion per life lost in the US since 9/11.

schneier.com Terrorism in the U.S. Since 9/11

Adobe - Adobe Reader download - All versions

This week was patch Tuesday. Microsoft and Adobe both released important security fixes. Update your software.

get.adobe.com

Mackenzie Kelly ♡ (@mkelly007) on Twitter

If you want current information on the fires in the Austin Texas area, follow Mackenzie Kelly on Twitter.

twitter.com Sign up for Twitter to follow Mackenzie Kelly ♡ (@mkelly007). Official twitter for Mackenzie Kelly. Graphic design genius, Small business owner, Model, Social Media Scientist, Government employee & volunteer firefighter.

How Facebook got your phone number (and how to take it back) | ZDNet

If you would prefer not to share all of your Facebook friends phone numbers with unknown parties, here is how to stop it.

zdnet.com Chances are Facebook not only has your phone number, but a whole phone book of all your friends’ numbers too.

Microsoft Windows Update

It's patch Tuesday again. Go check the Microsoft update site and install the security patches.

windowsupdate.microsoft.com The Microsoft Windows Update Consumer site provides critical updates, security fixes, software downloads, and Microsoft Windows Hardware Quality Lab (WHQL) device drivers for your Windows operating system and Internet Explorer browser.

http://www.update.microsoft.com/

Microsoft's patch Tuesday has come and gone again. Did you get the latest security updates? Go and check. http://www.update.microsoft.com

update.microsoft.com

Do you use an application on your phone that does both Twitter and Facebook? Which one?

Intel's Facebook 'Museum of Me' is a must-try

Try this virtual museum to see how much information you're sharing via Facebook.

news.cnet.com The tool collects a user's Facebook information and puts it on display in a virtual museum in the form of a video. Some may find it interesting, if a little creepy. Read this blog post by Don Reisinger on The Digital Home.

Our plans to support modern browsers across Google Apps - Docs Blog

Google will stop supporting older browsers August 1st. Note this does not mean you won't be able to get to or use google.com, only that some of their advanced features in Gmail and other Google products will not work.

googledocs.blogspot.com News and notes from the Google Docs team

Tenn. passes Web entertainment theft bill

Tennessee has passed a bill making it a crime to use a friend's login (even if they gave you permission) to share entertainment subscriptions. What is your opinion? Is it reasonable to criminalize sharing login information? (example: so your child at college can use your subscription)

physorg.com (AP) -- State lawmakers in country music's capital have passed a groundbreaking measure that would make it a crime to use a friend's login - even with permission - to listen to songs or watch movies from services such as Netflix or Rhapsody.

NoRedirect :: Add-ons for Firefox

If you practice safe surfing like I do and have javascript turned off there are some annoying web pages that redirect you to an error page instead of showing the content. There is an add-on for Firefox to stop this nonsense. Webmasters, best practice is show a notification that your page works better with javascript, not attempt to prevent access completely.

addons.mozilla.org NoRedirect lets the user take control of HTTP redirects.

'Like,' 'tweet' buttons divulge sites you visit video

Interesting - Facebook and Twitter buttons report back even if you don't click on them. Use a browser extension called Disconnect (or simply log out before browsing) to prevent this behavior.

cnettv.cnet.com Watch this video on CNET TV: You've probably used these buttons to share pages or videos with others. But according to a Wall Street Journal report, they also tell Facebook and Twitter what other sites you've been to and tie those sites to your account name and your computer's Internet address--even

Ford Cars of the Future Will Drive Away Allergies

Ford is working on an allergy monitoring system for their automobiles.

abcnews.go.com Ford plans to market allergy-sniffing cars that will measure pollen counts and weather forecasts.

One-in-14 software downloads malicious: Microsoft

Avoid malicious software by using a modern web browser. If you're still using Internet Explorer older than version 9 (which is everyone not using Windows Vista or Windows 7 who uses IE) you should be browsing with Firefox or Google Chrome.

physorg.com Microsoft on Wednesday warned that hackers use mind tricks more often than software skills to get viruses into computers.

$149 for a 23" LED Acer monitor is the cheapest I've ever seen one. Tiger Direct had that deal in an email I got today.

Maximum PC | Windows 7 Infection Rates 5 Times Lower Than XP

Do you need another reason to switch to Windows 7? Far fewer virus infections.

maximumpc.com ... infection rates for Windows 7 are five times lower than a fully patched Windows XP.

http://www.firefighterkelly.net/

Businesses today should be utilizing social media to reach more customers. This company gives good results. They offer online training too, look for their webinar coming up on Wednesday, May 18th. They also have a Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/#!/mkelly007

firefighterkelly.net

Nikon Image Authentication System: Compromised « Advanced Password Cracking – Insight

Photographs can be faked. Both Canon and Nikon security features for their digital images have been cracked. Keep that in mind if you are ever on a jury considering photographic evidence.

blog.crackpassword.com ElcomSoft has performed the extraction of the signing key, and prepared a set of forged images that pass as fully genuine. Manipulated images successfully passing validation by Nikon Image Authentication Software are available at http://nikon.elcomsoft.com. To validate these images, you’ll need Niko

I've seen an upsurge in a virus type known as a "root kit" lately. If you remove it, and it comes back next time you reboot you probably have one. Very difficult to remove and it often screws up part of the OS on the way out. Back up your data so any virus you get doesn't take your precious photos if you have to reinstall your operating system.

What benefit do you get from an anti-virus program you have to pay for vs. any of the several good FREE options (AVG Free, Avast, MSE, just to name a few free ones)?

Scam warning: Shocking NEW VIDEO of Osama Bin Ladens DEATH!! | ZDNet

Of course the scammers are capitalizing on the big news about Bin Laden. Don't fall for it.

zdnet.com Scammers are taking advantage of Osama Bin Laden’s death with their usual Facebook tricks.

iPhone and iPad with iOS 4 records your moves (w/video)

iPhones and iPads using iOS 4 are recording tracking information about where you have been. This sounds implausible, I hope it turns out to have a reasonable explanation.

physorg.com (PhysOrg.com) -- Security researchers have discovered that any iPhone or iPad that has been updated with iOS 4 records everywhere you have been to a secret file. The file is also copied to the owner's computer whenever the two are synchronized.

Spamvertised Easter Greetings lead to malware | ZDNet

Watch out for malware disguised as an Easter greeting.

zdnet.com Security researchers from McAfee are reporting on a currently ongoing event-based social engineering attack, aiming to trick users into clicking on a

Newegg.com - MSI/Laptops / Notebooks

If you're in the market for a new laptop, consider one from MSI. They are new to the laptop market but have made hardware components for many years. Their prices are very good for the features in their laptops.

newegg.com MSI/Laptops / Notebooks